The Hard Way
by Death.By.Fingerguns
Summary: When you spend your childhood on a planet like Jakku, there is only one way to learn life's lessons-the hard way. This is a collection of lessons Rey learned throughout her years on the harsh desert planet.
"I don't give a damn about my reputation"

Rey learns that a name like "Girl With the Staff" can get you into trouble.

Age: 16

* * *

Rey had earned herself the nickname "Girl With the Staff" when she won her first fight with it. It really wasn't a fight, it was self-defense, but stories will spread as the gossipers please, and so it was deemed a "fight".

Her quarterstaff had gotten her through many situations, from looters, to slave traders, to wild animals. She had earned quite the reputation with it over the years, and since Rey didn't talk to people much, her reputation did most of the talking for her. Rey didn't mind what they said, as long it kept people from giving her trouble-she had enough of that as a child.

Rey had never thought much about her dependence on her staff, nor did she think her reputation would ever turn to GIVE her trouble. That is, until she heard a rugged voice yell from afar _"Hey, 'Girl With the Staff', let's see how well you can hold your own without a weapon."_

Rey ignored the taunt and continued tweaking her salvage. She didn't want to get physical if she didn't have to. The only exchange she was interested in today was this semi-functional bomb-sight off a TIE/sa bomber for her daily ration.

The woman approached Rey and slammed both her hands flat on Rey's cleaning station in a show of force. At the slam, Rey instantly stood up in defense, grabbing her staff. The woman chuckled at Rey's reflex. "Coward." She spat.

"I don't want to start anything." Rey said assertively, still holding her staff.

"You think you scare me? You're nothing without your _stick_ to protect you." She barked. "And I'm going to prove it right now."

And just like that, in a blur, Rey and the woman were in the center of a circle created by the crowd that gathered almost instantly. Rey looked around at all the people that were jeering and grunting around them. She focused back on the woman in the circle with her. She was human, with bright red hair and freckles. She was tall, had a stocky build, and weathered looking skin. She removed her jacket and spat onto the ground. _How did I get myself into this one?_ Rey thought as she took in her opponent's threatening appearance. Rey threw her staff to the ground and removed her loose fitting wrappings that hung, leaving only her tunic, pants, and boots.

Rey couldn't remember the last time she actually fist-fought someone. She had gotten the quarterstaff when she was nine years old and-being the vulnerable, lonely, naive child she was-held on to that protection and comfort the staff provided for dear life. Rey wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about this fight. It all happened so fast, there wasn't time to register any doubt or confidence in herself, and at this point, what did it matter how she _felt_ about it? It was happening.

"Oh, and by the way, the name is Marcella Ridgeback. It's only proper you know the name of your challenger. I'd ask for yours, but it might not matter in five minutes." She scoffed. Some of the crowd laughed.

Rey didn't want to make the first move, but that's exactly what Marcella was waiting for. After a few long seconds of the staredown between the women, someone in the crowd pushed Rey. Rey leapt forward a little to steady herself, and Marcella lunged. She grabbed Rey's left shoulder and delivered the first punch.

The blow hit Rey square in her right eye, knocking her back a step. Before she could recover, a second blow with the opposite fist hooked her in the jaw, throwing her head and neck to the right, and the rest of her body following to steady herself. Still on her feet, Rey was able to recover now that she was out of arm's reach. She could taste and feel her blood collecting in her mouth. She spat on the ground and noticed a white chunk in the red. She moved her tongue around her teeth until she found the hole. She really hoped that was a baby tooth.

Rey looked back up to her foe with her one good eye. She was pacing back and forth, her eyes never leaving Rey's. It reminded Rey of how an animal looks at a challenger when fighting for dominance. But wasn't that all this was? A challenge for dominance?

Rey took another second to rethink her tactics. There was no way she was stronger than Marcella-the burly woman was a foot taller than her-but she was definitely _faster_.

The redhead started at Rey again, this time at a run. Rey ducked under Marcella's left arm as it swung to hit her face. Rey turned so she was behind the burly woman, and threw her arms around her neck. Rey constricted her left arm completely around Marcella's neck and tightened until she heard her gasp and take a step forward to steady herself. Marcella tried desperately to reach back and dislodge the smaller woman. She frantically scratched Rey's arms to no avail. After another suffocating second, Rey let go of her neck. She gasped and fell to one knee. Rey waited as her foe recovered. _I'm going to have to knock her out for this to end._ Rey thought with a sigh. Marcella turned back to Rey rubbing her neck and panting. Rey noticed her eyes. They had a twinge of fear behind them now. Rey cracked her knuckles and brought her fists up in preparation for the blows she knew she had to deliver sooner or later. _This is gonna hurt me too_.

Marcella approached Rey seemingly more strategic this time. Before she could bring her arm up, Rey fired a punch straight to her gut. She huffed but followed through with her blow that she aimed at Rey's ribs. Rey dodged and then delivered another quick blow to her nose. This knocked her back a step and made her eyes water. As a final blow, Rey wound up and threw her fist as hard as she could into her chin. The contact sent a shock of pain through Rey's fist too. She retracted her hand and tried to shake out the pain. Her knuckles were bleeding from the contact with teeth.

The larger woman fell into the sand like a stone. She groaned, but did not get back up. Rey relaxed and allowed herself to breathe. She stood and stared at her downed opponent. She was out cold. The only indication that she was still alive was her chest rising and falling as she breathed. Her blood and saliva ran in a stream down her face from her mouth and nose and dripped onto the sand. She listened around her as the crowd dissipated. She heard people cuss, exchange bet money, and laugh, but as she looked around no one came to help the woman. Rey looked back at Marcella, torn between leaving her and helping her. Rey was certain if this were the other way around, she would've spit on Rey's unconscious body and not given her a second thought, but Rey was also sure that if she left this woman here, on her back, she would most likely either drown in her own blood or be trampled by a happabore. Rey sighed and gathered a handful of oil rags from the cleaning stations. Using all the energy she could muster in her battered body, Rey grabbed the woman's arms and dragged her dead weight off of the main traffic area out of the harsh sun. She then turned her on her side and bunched up the oil rags to prop up her head. It's the best she could do, and it was just to keep her safe until she came to. With that, Rey found her quarterstaff, gauze wrappings, and salvage and made her way through the outpost back to her speeder.

Through the bustle, she heard the gossip-her new reputation.

" _She got biffed up pretty badly…"_

" _Turns out she doesn't hide behind her staff like everyone thinks."_

" _I wouldn't want to mess with her."_

When she got back to her AT-AT dwelling, she looked in her mirror (or rather a big jagged piece of what once was a full mirror) and examined her injuries. Her tunic was ruined. The huge stains were crusty with flecks of sand stuck to the drying blood. It wouldn't be worth the water to try and wash it out. She would just make a new one when she could trade for the materials. Her right eye was puffy and reddish-purple. _That will be one hell of a shiner tomorrow_. She lost a tooth in her top row of teeth on the left. It wasn't a HUGE deal to her, but she kind of hoped it wasn't one of her permanent teeth. She had scratches on her arms, but they weren't deep-the skin was barely broken. Rey was most worried about her hand. Without hands she couldn't climb or fix and clean salvage, and that would be a problem. Luckily, her left knuckle wasn't broken from her knock-out punch, only dried blood remained.

Rey cleaned up what she could of the blood and collapsed onto her bed. She laid her staff within arms reach as usual. She turned and stared at it, mulling over all that had happened today.

For so long she has been known as the "Girl With the Staff," and never once had she seen just how much of a dependence she had on that. She thought she had grown a sort of safety behind the name, as it was more of a warning to whoever messed with her. Never had she feared it would ever turn on her, and yet today she fist-fought someone and almost lost.

Rey sighed. A reputation and a nickname with not protect you, it only changes who challenges you.


End file.
